We love the Future

Here is a bunch of images plucked from the growing library over at Vintage Future, a great link that my pal Shelby White fired over to me. A lot of the work I do is based on this strange pocket of researching the past’s interpretation of the future. Ever since we could dream we’ve been trying to design how we think the future may look, but inevitably we draw upon the now so the designs are rooted in the time they were created. Strange paradox.

I just love this stuff. The optimistic outlook, the bits of past technology, the desaturated color palette, the little rips and wrinkles. It all comes together in a perfect representation of what kids back in the 60s were looking at in magazines while dreaming of the future. Great stuff.

How come every image of the future has ridiculously awesome imagery of totally impractical aircrafts? Interesting how taking to the sky epitomizes the utopian future…. and the lone traveller with the dog epitomizes the dystopian future.

I grew up seeing these fantastic visions of the future. Part of me is kind of sad that we don’t have a moon base, giant robots or holograms. I guess it is out job to make the future we want. That’s why I like your style James, it just shouts that kick-ass optimism.

However it is not all missed opportunities. Think how awesome computer’s are now and how they enable people like yourself to do your magic. We can communicate instantly with people across the world. It’s great. So in a way it’s better than we imagined.